NEW YORK - Turkey's contributions to the peace keeping missions will play an important role in its candidacy for UN Security Council non-permanent membership for the years 2009-2010.
Turkey has declared its candidature to one of the non-permanent seats allocated to the Western European and Other States Group (WEOG) in the Security Council for the term 2009-2010, at the elections to be held during the 63rd session of the UN General Assembly in 2008. Turkey has to compete with Austria and Iceland in 2008.
Turkey that ranks the 36th with its contributions to the peace building missions under the umbrella of the UN, makes contribution to preservation of international peace and stability within the body of different international organizations more than many other countries.
-TURKEY'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO UN PEACE KEEPING MISSIONS-
Turkey, which has been contributing to UN peace keeping operations since Korean War, currently continues to contribute to nine different UN peace keeping missions in various countries of the world with 291 police and five military observers.
Turkey's biggest contribution under the UN umbrella toward protection of international peace and security is the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) which Turkey participates with 256 civilians.
Turkey, which is currently providing 34 police officers for UNMIL (UN Mission in Liberia), is planning to increase the number of its police officers here to 50.
Turkey contributes to United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) with 11 civilian police officers.
Turkey contributes with 10 police officers to United Nations Operation in Ivory Coast, provides 6 police to the UN Peacekeeping Headquarters within UNMISET (UN Support Mission in East Timor), five police officers to UNAMSIL in Sierra Leone, and three police officers to Burundi.
Turkey also has military observers in United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG).
-POLICE AND SOLDIERS TO BE SENT TO SUDAN-
Diplomatic sources said Turkey plans to send troops and police to new UN peace forces to be assigned in Southern Sudan. UN Security Council decided to deploy a 10,700 people in UN peace force in Southern Sudan.
Concrete examples of Turkey's active policy in this field have been her contributions to the second peacekeeping mission sent to Somalia in 1993 - 1994 (UNOSOM-II), to UNPROFOR (UN Protection Force) in the former Yugoslavia in 1995 and subsequently to NATO operations SFOR and KFOR with a battalion in each one.
Turkey also sent a troop of 779 soldiers to a multinational force being deployed in Albania in order to provide the fast and secure conveyance of humanitarian aid.
-TURKEY RANKS THE 5TH FOR POLICE CONTRIBUTION-
Turkey took part in UNIPTF (UN International Police Task Force) with 101 personnel, in order to help the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement and provide civil order during the peace process, between March 1996 and December 2002. About 30 Turkish personnel were last assigned to UNIPTF, which has transferred its assignment to the European Union Police Force (EUPF) beginning from January 1st 2003. Turkey currently contributes to the EUPF with 6 police officers.
A UN Standby Arrangements System is now being established in order to provide the UN with instant peacekeeper deployment ability in case of a threat to international peace and security. Turkey agreed to provide a battalion to the said System in March 1997. Turkey also informed the UN Secretariat that the Turkish Ministry of the Interior would in addition assign a contingent of 100 personnel to the said System.
Since the Korean War, Turkey contributed to the UN missions set up in various regions of the world to ensure peace and stability. Turkey actively took part in 18 of those mission in the past 20 years.
Turkey is among the first five countries which contributes with civilian police to UN peace keeping missions the most.
-CONTRIBUTION TO WORLD PEACE WITH 2700 SOLDIERS AND POLICE-
Besides the peace building missions under UN roof, Turkey contributes to international peace and stability by advocating the missions under the roofs of Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), NATO and European Union (EU).
Number of Turkey's personnel contributing to peace keeping missions reach 2700.
Diplomatic sources said Turkey was one of the countries contributing the most to International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan since 2001. Turkey, which has 1700 soldiers within the body of the ISAF, undertook the command of this force for two periods.
Turkish diplomats in the UN pointed to the importance of Partnership for Peace Training Center which Turkey set up in Ankara in 1998. The diplomats said not only the Turkish security personnel but also other peace keeping personnel coming from various countries were trained in this center.
-TURKISH PERSONNEL AT THE UN-
11 Turkish personnel are employed at the UN Secretariat, of which the majority is at executive level. The number of executive-level civil servants at the UN Secretariat allocated to any particular country depends on the number of UN Member States, their populations and their mandatory contribution levels to the UN budget. Accordingly, Turkey is allowed a minimum of 9 and a maximum of 18 executive-level civil servants at the UN Secretariat. A competitive exam took place in Ankara on 17 February 2004, with the intent of increasing the number of Turkish personnel employed at the UN.